


Come Back, Jaybird

by unpocowboys



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2020-10-20 23:01:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20683379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unpocowboys/pseuds/unpocowboys
Summary: Kieran is hurt and confused over his wife's distant behavior afted the birth of their first child.TW: Postpartum Depression





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to explore the idea of some trouble or discord in Kieran and Mary-Beth's marriage, since we've all romanticized the cuteness. I can't lie, this still ends up sugary sweet for my own personal desires, but hopefully it's at least somewhat aligned with what could happen. Also posted on Tumblr!

Mary-Beth had recently given birth to a healthy, baby boy, their first child together. At first, the new parents seemed overjoyed (and were) to have a little Duffy in the house with them. Before Mary-Beth had the baby, they used to curl up together and Kieran would put an arm around his wife each night, caressing every inch of her. Some nights it would stay chaste, and others would escalate to passionate lovemaking. Closer to the birth, Kieran was more than alright with simply holding her and their future child close. 

After little James Duffy's birth, things understandably took a hiatus as they got used to having a new addition to take care of. It was to be expected for at least a month or two. The month turned into several months. While having James brought them both joy, Mary-Beth's personality seemed to have changed to a less affectionate and irritable tone. 

When Kieran would reach to hold her at night, she would often reject his advances.

"Not tonight," she would mutter, lifting his hands off of her. The first few times it happened, Kieran chalked it up to being tired. But as time went on, she was less kind and snapped at him quite frequently over small things, even for looking at her. 

So Kieran tried to fix the situation and to help his wife be happy again. He asked Uncle Arthur and Uncle Lenny to babysit the infant to give the two some privacy. Mary-Beth sat at the table, looking forlornly out the window. 

"Awfully quiet around here, ain't it?" he asked. "It's a sound we haven't heard in a while."

"I guess..." she murmured.

"I suppose we should...take advantage of that."

"Sure."

Kieran's heart sank deeper and deeper the longer she looked apathetically at the suggestion of being alone together. 

"Well...I'll be in the bedroom when you're ready." 

He was met with silence. Even so, he sat on the edge of their bed for a half an hour, waiting for her. Kieran decided to check on her.

"You comin', darlin'?"

Mary-Beth still sat at the table, looking out the same window, not saying a word. He approached her and lightly touched her shoulders from behind. Immediately, she jerked away and Kieran put his hands up in surrender. 

"I'm sorry, love. We don't have to do a thing. All I want to know is why you haven't wanted to be close together. Did I do something wrong?" 

"I just _don't, _okay?!" Mary-Beth snapped at him. "Nothin' more. I want to be left alone." 

She suddenly got up and stomped into the bedroom. Mary-Beth shut the door behind her, leaving Kieran feeling more helpless than ever. He felt confused, torn apart. What happened to the woman he loved? He stood in the kitchen, looking out that same window wondering what she saw in them that dragged her away from this world. Kieran wanted to break down into tears, but was able to hold on long enough to give one desperate plea to her outside of their bedroom door. 

"Mary-Beth," he began, leaning his arm and head against the door. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I wanted to at least try."

He was met with silence, but he held on to hope that maybe, just maybe, she was listening to him.

"I've loved you the moment you offered me water when I was tied to the tree. That's not a lie, neither. Ain't no one else show the compassion for me as you, even when you got snippy with me."

He paused, trying to hear any sound of hers behind the locked door. Nothing. He resumed.

"Darlin', if I ain't the man you want anymore, I won't lie to you: it'll hurt somethin' real awful. But even if you do decide that, I won't regret a thing about our short life together. I will always love you, til' the day I die. Nothing can change that. I'll go off somewhere and never love another woman, because none of them will be you. You say the word, and I'll pack my things."

He still heard nothing. Brokenhearted, he slid his arm away from the door, sighed in defeat, and turned away to find a suitcase. But before he could, Kieran heard the door squeak open behind him. Mary-Beth emerged, her face covered in tears. She desperately grabbed him from behind, burying her head into his shirt, staining it with a pond of her anguish. 

"No!" she choked out. "Don't leave me." 

Kieran couldn't help but smile, even with Mary-Beth crying behind him. He was just glad he hadn't lost her completely. Turning around, Kieran pulled her into his chest as she continued to cry. He kissed her forehead. "Only if you tell me to." 

Mary-Beth looked up at him with fear and sorrow in her eyes. "Never, ever." 

Kieran grinned, but in a melancholy way. "I just wish I knew how to make you happy again." he lamented. 

"But...you do." 

"You ain't gotta spare my feelings, Jaybird."

Mary-Beth gave him an agitated look. "I ain't doin' nothin' but telling you the truth, like I've always done."

"Okay, okay, love," he cajoled her. "But it's been hard to know. If I'm too forward with ya', I'll lay off the touching or anything else. I just want to be with my bird again, even if I never get to hold you or kiss you again." 

"I want more than anything to have that back," Mary-Beth whimpered. "But I've felt..." 

Kieran patiently awaited her answer, but gently coaxed out a response. "You've felt what?"

Mary-Beth sniffled. "So...sad. Different. Not about the baby or you. But about..."

She trailed off again, but Kieran waited until she was ready. 

"...how different I look." 

Kieran was surprised by her answer. "I think we both got new bags under our eyes, sweet thing." 

Mary-Beth didn't smile at his joke, but instead shifted uncomfortably in his arms. He went to release her from his grip, but she instead used the opportunity to readjust herself against him so that she was even closer to him. Her voice got softer, shyer. 

"I keep looking at myself in the mirror. I have so many new scars and tears. My hair is getting duller. My breasts are just so...floppy and gross. I don't look like the girl I used to be anymore, and I just can't stand having myself so exposed anymore. I can't stand my body." 

Kieran continued to hold her close before grabbing the sides of her arms and looking directly into her eyes. She tried to look away, but she felt his rough hands cup her chin and guide it back to his eyes. 

"No, you don't look like the girl I married, but you look like the woman I've been dying to meet," said Kieran with a surprising smoothness to his voice. He's come a long way from being the nervous man in camp. "You're the mother to my child. I've been waiting to see your marks and other signs of the child you carried for us. I know you don't want me looking right now, but make no mistake that if you let me, I'll only love you more." 

Mary-Beth seemed closer to believing him, but still let her eyesight linger away from his in shame. Kieran felt her shake, and shortly after that, uncontrollable sobbing. 

"I've been such a terrible wife to you!" she cried. 

Kieran shushed her quickly but delicately. "No, you've had a lot of changes to handle that I couldn't possibly ever know. But I do know that I want to be by your side to help you...if you'll let me. You know I ain't one to shy away from taking care of my wife, no matter what that means for you today and the rest of our lives." 

Mary-Beth nodded into his chest and sniffled. "I want you to come in and sleep with me." 

Kieran kissed her head again. "Real sleep or the other sleep?"

"Real sleep...for now. But maybe we could try the other kind of sleep again soon."

"As long as my Jaybird is back in the nest with me, I'm happy." 


	2. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mary-Beth is improving, but still reluctant about her looks. Kieran works through her insecurities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well apparently I couldn't let this be a one-shot. Anyhow, the Part 2 no one asked for, but will get anyway!

Kieran always asked permission before touching her while she was in this state. He got her to open up again, but Mary-Beth was still so fragile from how she felt about her body. 

Growing up, he'd hear men at various camps and bars talking about how they could do what they pleased with their women. Kieran never wanted anything to do with that kind of behavior. He looked down at his lover, who sweetly slept on their bed. It broke his heart to know such an angel questioned how beautiful she was. All he wanted to do was hold her tightly, kiss her, make love to her. 

But he was patient. Kieran showed her love by always stepping up to take care of James, doing extra chores, insisting that she go and rest. He would even make dinner for them both. 

One evening, he brought her dinner in their bed so she wouldn't have to get up. Mary-Beth sat up and appreciatively gave him a kiss on his cheek. 

"Thank you," she quietly thanked him. Kieran nodded and went to go take care of their son. Mary-Beth had been feeling desire for him for so long, but still struggled with how she looked. She felt like she was lying to Kieran, had tricked him into falling in love with her. He married a pretty, young woman, but all of that was changing so quickly. 

Later that evening, once James was asleep, Kieran returned to their bedroom. Mary-Beth smiled up at him, and he returned the gesture. He lay down beside her, still staring. 

"You're so gorgeous..." he whispered. "I know you haven't felt that way, but ya' are." 

Mary-Beth saw the geniune look of adoration in his eyes. She scooted closer to him. "Will you hold me?" 

Kieran jumped at the opportunity, bringing her head onto his chest. "Always."

He didn't dare let his hands wander, but had to resist the temptation. Mary-Beth could sense his desire, but loved him dearly for being considerate and kind enough to hold back. She kissed the bare spot of his chest uncovered by his night shirt. Oh, she missed this! The feeling of his skin on hers as she nuzzled it with her cheek. 

Kieran chuckled. "You do that as much as you'd like." 

"Oh yeah?" she teased, unbuttoning it to reveal more skin. Kieran's breathing hitched as she covered his bare chest with kisses. His grip on her back tightened, but he didn't dare scare her away by moving any farther. Mary-Beth liked this cautious game he played. She looked into his eyes and surprised him with a kiss on the lips. He tasted like a barn, but with how she devoured his touch, one would have thought he had ambrosia hidden in his teeth. Kieran let out a small whimper. Mary-Beth rubbed her thumb against his beard as he returned her affections, his hand rubbing modest circles on her back. 

"I've missed this..." she confessed to him, taking in the feeling of his hands on her body. 

"I've missed you too..." he murmured, his other hand daring to touch her bouncy curls. Before he could stop himself, Kieran felt himself grow below his belt. 

"I-I'm so s-sorry," he stammered, afraid that all of the progress she made was ruined by his inability to control himself. "I don't want ya' to have to do nothin'. F-forgive me, I—" 

Mary-Beth shut him up with another kiss, stroking his hair. "Don't be sorry. You're not doing anything wrong." 

Kieran relaxed a little, but still felt worried. Mary-Beth reassured him by crawling on top of him, covering his face with kisses. Before he could process what was happening, she brushed her hand over his bulge. 

"I'm still not ready to...show things off," Mary-Beth confessed. "But I've missed being connected with you. Would you...be with me?" 

Kieran teared up a little, nodding. "Mary-Beth, I would do anything for you." 

For the first time in too long of a time, they reconnected. They shifted together in the sheets, Kieran relying on touch to please her. Both of them took in the warmth of each other's company and found release in each other's touch. The couple cried together, though Kieran was especially emotional. 

"I'm so happy to have you, Jaybird. So happy," he sniffled. 

"I'm sorry I made you wait so long," Mary-Beth apologized between tears. 

"I have you again. That's all I care about." 

They both heard a cry coming from the other room. Kieran laughed. "And him, of course." 

He was about to get up when Mary-Beth grabbed his hand. "Wait a moment, I'll go with you." 

He really did have her back.


End file.
